People against abortion will have to make hard decisions about ways to prevent unwanted preganancies if they truly are pro-life.

That was the sentiment heard Sunday night as about 85 people met to pray, discuss, meditate and sing about the “evils” of abortion. The service was to remember the Jan. 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

Father Tom Coy of Saint Albert the Great in Burbank, Ill., told the group that responsibility today is viewed as a “skillful elimination of unwanted consequences.” Coy said that contraceptives are not an acceptable way to prevent pregnancy.

“Contraception is not the way out,” Coy said. “It (contraception) is a nut that’s harder to crack.”

Coy said contraceptives are “hurting and destroying the beautiful relationship of marriage.”

As an example, Coy said young people growing and “accepting God’s gift of marriage” will become confused if their parents use contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and still enjoy sexual activity.

Pro-lifers will have to search deep for the answers because scientists can’t do the job, Coy said. “If scientists were left to solve this problem, they’d concentrate on the perfect contraceptive,” he said.

“Hard problems hit a little deeper and require more prayer, more thought, more togetherness and more appreciation of what marriage is all about,” he said.

The service was followed by a speech by David Brewer, M.D., a former abortionist who now delivers babies. “I’d like to make all of you responsible,” Brewer told the audience.

The earlier part of Brewer’s presentation included a slide show featuring pictures of the development of a baby.

While most of the group was from DeKalb rather than NIU, junior Steve Weissbecker, who said he is pro-life, said he found the service interesting.

However, Weissbecker said he did not attend last year’s service and went Sunday night to see if there would be protests. Last year’s service was disturbed by chanting and other noises from pro-choice advocates.

The service was a joint effort of Immanuel Lutheran Church, the Christian Campus Ministry, the Newman Catholic Student Center and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.